Choosing subjects well is very important to your success at school, and even your success in your future career. Nervous you won't make the right choices? Never fear! Follow the tips and tricks in this article to kickstart your life right.

Steps

1

Take a moment to look at your future goals. If you don't have any, decide what they will be. Don't just do a course because your friends are, or your brother is. You are your own individual.

What career do you want to pursue? It's a good idea to take classes that are relevant to the job you hope to have in the future. For example, if you want to be a doctor, biology, science, and math are courses you might want to take. Especially if you are in high school or college, your career choice is a huge deciding factor.

Think about what you want to have on your resume. Are there any "extra" classes that maybe aren't relevant to your career choice, but are subjects you are particularly interested in or teach you a valuable life skill? Things like band, art, or a language fall into this category. These things are good to put on your resume in the future because it makes you stand out more when applying for jobs.

2

Choose subjects you enjoy. These classes make your life less stressful, bu they may be recommended subjects that you need to fulfill for your education goals.

When you enjoy subjects, you will often listen more, work harder, and overall do better. All subjects are worthwhile, and even if a few subjects you choose aren't all that relevant to the future you want to have, that doesn't really matter. What matters most is that you enjoy what you are learning and are following a career path you are excited about. Motivation plays a key role in your success as a student.

3

Choose subjects that offer a (reasonable) challenge.

If subjects are too easy for you, you will easily get bored and will lack motivation. If they are too hard, you will get frustrated and likely not understand the material well enough to succeed. Take classes that offer you a challenge you are willing to take.

Look at how well you've done in past classes to help determine what level you are at. If you were struggling at math last year, for example, you probably shouldn't be taking the advanced math course. If you were excelling in math, however, the advanced math course may be a good choice. Biting off more than you can chew or taking the easy road does not make you look cool; be honest with yourself when judging your abilities and picking classes.

4

Choose classes that you are required to take.

Don't get too excited picking subjects that you forget the ones that are required for you to take! Pick out your required subjects first so that you know how many other choices you can still make.

5

Make a list of all the subjects you want to do, and narrow it down.

If you need to choose, say, five subjects, make sure you include a couple backups on your list. You probably won't be able to take every class you really want to take; accept that before you start.

If you end up with way more subjects on your list than you are allowed to take, cut the ones you would least enjoy, or any subjects that have overlapping topics. Keep narrowing it down until you have enough classes, plus 1-3 backups.

6

Consult your parents.

You get the final say, but you should make sure your parents approve of your selected classes and career path. If they question any of the classes you'd like to take, calmly discuss the matter. Screaming and yelling at each other won't help you keep your classes.

Your parents can help point out any classes they think you'd like or that they think you should take. Remember that you get the final say, but you should seriously consider different possibilities. Who knows? Maybe a class you thought looked lame could turn out to be fun!